Day 27 – Decluttering Your Purse & More
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Originally published January 27, 2014 and updated January 2018 and January 2024.
Welcome to Day 27 of the 31 Days of 10-minute Decluttering Tips Challenge. Today we’ll be going through our purse, backpack or briefcase. Our goal is to eliminate things we don’t need from our lives and home so that we can better enjoy life. Let’s get started clearing clutter and see what we want to keep and what needs to be removed.
Our purse, backpack or briefcase is our mini home-on-the-go. We carry everything that we need to have with us when we’re away from home in our bag. But often we ended up with too many things that we don’t need in our bag. Those unnecessary items create extra weight that we’re lugging around with us, reduce the useful space in our bag and complicate our lives. Why? Why do we put up with the mess and confusion that ends up in our bag? Because we’re busy and don’t make the time to purge and organize our bag. Well, today’s the day.
Clearing Clutter – Tips for Decluttering a Purse, Backpack or Briefcase
Grab the 6 decluttering bags you created earlier, your copy of the free Decluttering Clutter Checklist and your purse, backpack or briefcase. Take it to a table or couch where you can work comfortably.
Take Everything Out- Keep in mind we’re doing this in 10 minutes. Unless you carry an enormous bag, we should be able to work our way through your bag in 10 minutes. Lay everything out so that you can see it. Don’t forget to empty those zippered pockets and corners of your bag.
Group Like Items Together – Quickly group like items together.
Evaluate – Look at each group you’ve created. Look for the items that don’t belong in your bag. Check the dates on the coupons. Throw away the trash. Pull the items that belong somewhere else out (what’s the strangest thing you’ve found?). If you are carrying lots of change around, remove most of it. You can add more once you spend the change in your bag, but most likely you’ll need to remove more change again in a week or two. How many pens do you really need to carry? Take receipts out unless it’s for an item you’re returning this week. Look at your key chain. If you can’t identify each key on it, then you don’t need to be lugging those keys around.
Purge – Remove items you don’t need to keep and place them in one of your 6 purging bags.
Put Everything Away – Put the items you’ve decided to keep back away in your bag.
Purse and More Organizing Tips
These are tips I’ve used for years to couch potato organize my purse while watching TV.
Purse, Backpack and Briefcase Organizing Products
When considering organization products for your purse, backpack, or briefcase, it’s essential to think about both functionality and style.
A primary factor is the organization’s versatility – select organization products that can be used in multiple bags or adapted for different purposes. Your needs will change over time and you want your organization to be able to chance too.
Look for items that offer compartments and pockets to keep your belongings secure and easy to access.
Consider the size and weight of the organization products to ensure they don’t add unnecessary bulk to your bags.
Choose materials that are durable and easy to clean, as these items will be used frequently and may encounter spills or dirt.
Finally, don’t overlook the aesthetic appeal of these items; look for designs that complement your personal style while still providing the practicality you need on a daily basis.
with 13 Pockets
for Tote Bag, Handbag and Totes
Available in 4 different colors
Day 27 is done. Woo hoo! Join me tomorrow for Day 28 in the 31 Days of 10-Minute Decluttering Tips challenge. Let’s purge some more so you can make room to enjoy life more.
Find all my decluttering tips, printables and challenges in the table below. You can scroll though the table and look for ideas or search for specific ideas with the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner (on desktop). Click on the topic and then click through the specific article.
I’m a mom of 3, a veteran and military spouse. I’ve moved into 20+ homes all around the world. My passion is helping busy people make the space and time for what’s really important to them.
Yes, yes, yes! A spot we so often forget to dump out. I usually do my purse seasonally, when I switch from one bag to another. My husband’s briefcase – I cringe!